Shadow Breaking
by vlarto
Summary: What if Aria T'loak knew that the species known as humanity existed before first contact? What if the Shadow Broker knew that the species known as humanity existed before first contact?
1. Chapter 1

**Earth date (ED) 2075 AD**

The Manswell expedition launches from Earth en route to the alpha centauri system with 300 colonists aboard in cryogenic stasis. Evey Silber, one of the colonists, is discovered to be in in the early stages of pregnancy, to her surprise, hours before the cryo procedure begins. Risks to mother and child are deemed low, and the procedure continues.

Communications with the vessel are soon lost.

 **ED Unknown - Galactic Standard calendar 2600 (GS)**

A Salarian STG team searching for deniable assets in the skyllian verge discover a damaged pre-ftl space craft, belonging to no known species, trapped in the gravity well of a star. Upon boarding the team discovers 300 cyropods containing an unknown species, all bar one have failed. Opening the failed pods revealed only dessicated corpses. The working cryopod and all data on board is transferred to the STG vessel. The alien vessel, containing nothing more of value, is manoeuvred into a rapidly decaying orbit around the star.

The STG team is attacked and boarded by pirates en-route to Sur'Kesh. The team is wiped out to the last Salarian, inflicting heavy casualties on their assailants, and all data is purged from the ships systems. The pirates take possession of cryopod and set course for 'the heart of evil' (Human translation: 'Omega'). Soon after the pirates arrive word reaches Aria T'loak, the Queen of Omega, of their foolish actions and the prize they have taken. After a liberal number of untimely deaths and accidents, the cryopod ends up in her possession. Aria had it placed in a secure vault deep under Afterlife.

Due to pressing concerns caused by the actions of the now deceased pirates in drawing the attention of the STG to her station. Aria all but forgets the pod and it becomes just another curiosity among many.

 **2628 GS**

Recalling the oddity, Aria orders an indentured Quarian engineer, by the name of Rem'Kel, to open the cryopod, promising his freedom upon completion of the task. The engineer begins to piece together the unknown programming language written in an unknown script. The enormity of the task dawning on him much swifter than any real progress.

 **2630 GS**

Rem'kel reports to Aria that his has cracked enough of the code to open the pod. Later that same day Aria, two hand picked bodyguards, and a Salarian doctor stand before the cryopod that had kept Rem'Kel occupied for the last two years. Rem'Kel checking and rechecking his notes against the code he had written.

The queen of Omega stared at the pink, furry Asari looking creature, through the viewport, thoughtfully tapping her finger against her lips. After a while she turned her head slightly in the direction of the Quarian.

"It is still alive?" She asked.

"The cryopod computer seems to..."

"Computer, surely you mean VI?" Interrupted the Turian bodyguard.

"If it was a VI Turez, I would have said VI!" Rem'Kel snapped back "If is was a VI it would not have taken me the better part of two full years to crack it! I had to learn how to program in a language that no one could understand, from the top down. Be glad it only took two years, I could have easily spent another year trying to..."

"Rem'Kel, shut up." Aria spoke in a tone that brook no disagreement, silencing the him in moments. "Good. Now answer my question. Is it alive?"

The Quarian fiddled with his omni tool for a moment and a holographic screen appeared on the wall.

"It's reading as alive as anything in cryo stasis can be. As for if it will live once it's out I have no idea. I'd guess that's why Kirano's here." He gestured to the Salarian doctor who was examining the projected image with interest, muttering to himself.

"Pale Asari with fur, Batarian ear like growths below fur line on the sides of head, forward facing eyes indicates predator, teeth indicate likely omnivorous diet, endoskeleton, lungs reminiscent of most species, likely breaths oxygen." Kiranos' eyes darted across the projected image taking in all the details that could be important, before settling on a disturbing sight. He raised his hand and pointed at the creatures pelvis. "Parasite, no and yes... With child, parasitic link to mother." Kirano turned to Aira, "How long have you had this?"

Aria stared at Kirano for a long moment before answering "Why?"

"Long term exposure to cryo stasis fluids dangerous to all known life, especially infants. Now how long?"

"Thirty years, plus however many years it was like that before it came into my possession." Aria replied not happy at the tone the Salarian was using, however he was the best doctor that Omega had seen in over a century, so she could forgive this small slight against her.

"To long. The damage is likely already done. It should live but, if it isn't already then, it will go blind, among other issues, no doubt." Kirano shook his head sadly. "The unborn will certainly be blind and weak. Also no element zero in its system, may have some sickness due to background exposure." He looked around the room. "Also recommend decontaminating this room, it likely is carrying native diseases or we might infect it." Aria gave a single nod and Kirano typed into his omni tool bringing to life the battered but functional decon units in the cell. "Will take a short while, best get comfortable."

Ten minutes later the room was as cleaner than anywhere else on Omega, but still was not clean enough for Kirano to be happy. He knew he would have to make do, and that he was trying Aria's limited patience. She raised a tattooed eyebrow at him and he gave a single answering nod. Aria turned her head to to Rem'kel who had been going over his code and notes for the umpteenth time.

"Open it." She ordered.

Rem'kel tapped on his omni tool and after a few moments the bolts popped on the pod door. The cryo fluid drained into a hidden reservoir and the door swung up.

The creature within gurgled, blinked and then slumped unceremoniously on the floor, coughing and spluttering as it did.

* * *

Evey realised quickly she had been lied too. Coming out of cryo stasis is like waking up after a long dreamless sleep, they had told her. Which mind you was true. What they failed to mention, was the burning sensation searing the inside of her chest as she coughed up the suspension fluid in her lungs. Or the how it felt like hot needles were being shoved liberally into her eyes every time she tried to open them. Or the gods-damned ringing in her ears like standing next big Ben while it chimed the hour whist simultaneously next to a waterfall. Or her complete inability to move at all under her own power. Oh and the headache that was now forming from hitting her head on the floor. Nice catch wake up crew.

What felt like an eternity later, which Evey figured was more like a minute or so, she gasped for breath and no coughing followed. She felt a few tears of joy roll down her cheeks as she thought 'We made it little one, we made it to Alpha Centari.' After a few moments more the pain in her eyes began to abate along with the ringing. Fighting against the stiffness that plagued her muscles she forced her head up to look around for the other cryo sleepers or the wake up crew, and sorely wished she had not.

A bird headed thing in armour and holding a gun.

A cross between a rhino and camel in armour and holding a gun.

A person in a spacesuit with a glowing yellow arm.

A lizard looking thing in stained doctors whites.

A purple lady wearing tight clothes and a look of complete disdain.

The scream she planned came out as a quiet whimper and as she curled up into a foetal position and closed her eyes tight. The bastards hadn't mentioned hallucinations either. Then the noises came, barking, whistling and growling. All of it unintelligible and fucking terrifying.

Terror and a healthy dose of adrenaline gave her the strength to move. She forced herself backwards into the base of the pod, which was not her greatest plan. But she reasoned if her back was to the pod then these things were not.

Dragging protesting knees up to her chest, to put more of herself between the things and her child. One arm wrapped around her knees as tightly as she dared, she tried to make herself as small as possible and cried out.

"Please don't hurt my baby!" As the words left her mouth the room fell silent, and in a whisper Evey added. "Or me either, please."

LINE HERE

Aria and the others watched as the creature fell out of the cryo pod into a heap on the floor. It spasmed for a moment then started heaving up the remaining liquid in its lungs.

"Doesn't exactly look like much." The Krogan, Trex, grumbled.

"So long as that muck its spewing doesn't get on my armour." Turez replied.

"Yeah wouldn't want to ruin the paint job" Trex snorted.

Aria ignored the rest of the petty banter between her guards, but could not help but agree with Trex's statement, as simple as it was. The creature did not look like much, helplessly coughing its lungs out onto her floor, it looked weak. Yet she had not ruled Omega for centuries by making assumptions, she needed facts. She watched as Kirano scanned the creature and the fluid it was expelling, before returning to her side.

"Suffering from documented cryo stasis symptoms, blindness, deafness, and vomiting. Have no data to compare cellular state to, may be evolutional junk or true cellular damage. Likely somewhat dehydrated and starved. Will need some levo safe food, recommend Thessian based, decontaminated as best we can."

"Is it that fluid dangerous? Is it a threat? Is it sentient? Can it understand us?" Aria rattled off the questions without taking her eyes off the retching creature.

"No. No. Highly likely. No." Kirano looked about to explain his rapid answers when the creature opened its eyes and looked around the room. It's eyes met hers and all the colour drained from its already pale face. It let out a weak cry and curled up into a ball on its side, making small whimpering sounds.

Trex let out a bark of laughter "That is the most pathetic excuse for defending itself I've ever seen."

Rem'kel spoke softly, reminding them he was there at all "Can I go now? I did as you asked Aria."

Turez turned swiftly on the Quarian, raising his pistol to the Quarians faceplate. "You'll speak when spoken too boy!" He yelled.

"Shutting up." Rem'kel whispered.

"It's going to need some medical attention Aria, if you want it to live. But if you don't, I also know some good taxidermists." Kirano added.

"Look at it! It's about as dangerous as a blind pyjak with no tail!" Trex bellowed as he grinned sadistically at the curled creature and took a step forward.

"Take another step Trex and I will smear you across the walls." Aria intoned without emotion.

She watched the creature crawl, with surprising speed, backwards into the pod and curled into another tighter ball using its limbs to cover itself. Before it cried out a few unrecognisable sounds, it's eyes wide with fright. It then tried to make itself even smaller and whispered a few more sounds.

Kirano clicked his tongue and whispered to Aria. "There you have it, complex language and not so subtle body language. It's sentient, must be undiscovered pre-ftl species."

Aria stared at the creature for a time, its eyes never leaving hers. The natural sounds of Omega occasionally breaking the silence of the room. Every gunshot and echoing scream made the creature twitch in fright. Internally Aria enjoyed the look of pure fear on the creatures face, but she knew that too much fear could be dangerous, not for her of course, but for the others in the room.

"Let us see if your hypothesis is correct Kirano. If it can learn quickly, I may have some use for it." A smile crossed her lips and Turez knew that it could only mean someone was going to have a very bad day soon. "If not, well, I have been meaning to get a pet."

Everyone in the room laughed, and the creature tried to make itself even smaller. Which set Trex and Turez in a fit of unmuffled laughter

"Shut up or die, your choice." Aria barked at her guards, silencing them almost instantly.

Aria turned back to the creature, put on an almost genuine smile and walked up to its cowering form.

* * *

Eveys day was no worse off for her crying out to the strange aliens, but nor was it any better. She had finally accepted that yes, these things were in fact aliens, not hallucinations. Less than half of them had weapons, so that means they might be friendly. Then it clicked in her mind if she didn't understand them, they likely didn't understand her either.

Her ears were still ringing slightly but she could hear and feel the dull thump of some kind of music. Punctured at intervals by an echo of gunfire, cries of pain, and screaming. Which she couldn't help but flinch at.

Gods! Where had she woken up? Where were the other colonists? She cursed her luck, of the 300 colonists ten were drawn from a lottery, ten million people bought tickets and she got 'lucky'.

She watched them warily as the lizard alien talked with a purple alien. Still hopeful that it was all some misunderstanding and that they would soon let her go, or at the very least not hurt her or her baby, too much. Who the hell was she kidding, they are going to probe, poke, and cut her open, tear out her baby and do the same to it. Then when they are done they'll eat what ever is left.

The purple alien kept staring at her like she was some freak. It said something and put on the creepiest smile, then said something else. Which made everyone else in the room, let out a series of hoots, barks and growls that could be laughter or perhaps a call for dinner. Evey couldn't help but squeeze even tighter into the corner of the pod. Which made the camel-rhino and the bird man start again. The purple one said something in a slightly louder voice and both instantly fell silent.

The purple alien put on a smile that could almost be called pleasant yet looked more creepy on its face. It walked right up to her and squatted down within arms reach. As it did Evey turned her head and covered it with her free arm.

All that was going through her head was. 'This is it. Time to become some science project, or shoved in a zoo, or worse a cooking pot. Maybe one of them will choke on her. She wished that she could have met her unborn child, who would die before knowing life.'

A strange spring of courage formed in her chest, if she were to die she would stare into the eyes of her killer, even as tears began to form in her own. She lowered her arm and glared into the blue eyes of the alien. The alien stared back at for a moment then spoke a few words.

"I don't understand you." Evey replied a moment later.

The alien let out what Evey guessed was a sigh before it pointed to itself and very slowly spoke.

"Aria. Ah ree ah. Aria."

It then pointed at each of the aliens in the room and repeated the sequence. Word, phonetic, word. It's hand made a second sweep of the room before finally coming to rest pointing at Evey herself.

The whole room was completely silent and had their eyes locked onto her. She let out a breath she hadn't noticed she was holding and very slowly pointed to herself and said in a whisper at first but clearly audible by the end.

"Evey... Ee ve. Evey" She then pointed to the aliens in the order the Purple one had. "Aria, Turez, Trex, Kirano, Remkel," before pointing once more to herself and repeating "Evey."

The one called Aria formed something akin to a smirk on its face before its eyes turned completely black. Then she felt something caressing her mind, calm and powerful, picking at and watching her memories.

She was six, crying while holding a broken arm.

She was twelve, coming first at a gymnastics event.

She was seventeen, losing her virginity.

She was twenty two, attending her parents funeral.

She was twenty five, she was told she won a place on the expedition.

She was twenty six, she was told she was pregnant.

She was here now, terrified.

A thought appeared in her mind that did not feel like her own, that simply told her to sleep. She felt like a puppet that had its strings cut as she fell fast asleep, her last thought was that when she awoke, that the nightmare would be over.

* * *

Aria forced the human, as she had learned they called themselves, to sleep, so she could make sense of all the things see had seen. It had been harder than she expected to brute force a meld, but not too much harder. The humans mind had adapted quickly to her presence, just accepting it as something normal. She pulled out some pertinent information on the humans body, its functions and language. She almost pitied the human when its last thoughts before passing to sleep were that this was all a dream. Aria ended the meld and slowly stood up and gently shook her head to clear it.

She opened her omni tool and keyed in a few high level override commands and sent them. The bolts on the blast doors to the cell slammed home and all power to the cell was cut off. Slowly some of the red emergency lights warmed up casting a dull light about the cell. Then it was banished as Aria erupted in blue biotic fire casting an eerie purple light across the walls.

"If any of you so much as mention this creature or its name, to anyone who is not already in this room. The death you will experience shall pale in comparison to what I will, personally, do to you while you still draw breath. Do I make myself clear?" Arias voice dripped venom.

Four nods later and Aria swept her omni tool and the power returned and the door unlocked.

"Good." She turned to the doctor. "Kirano, treat Evey and the unborn, I pulled enough of her language to compile the beginnings of a translation, all her previous medical issues, and a list of her bodily functions to make you aware of them. I'll write it up and pass it on to you soon. I want you, as soon as you deem it safe, to implant multiple trackers, I don't want this 'Evey' going missing. She won't wake up till I meld with her again, so no need to worry about anaesthetic. Turez you are to assist the doctor, anything he needs he gets regardless of cost, if you can't find it you come to me and I will. Is this acceptable doctor, you will, of course, be paid handsomely for your services."

"Perfectly Aria, I will strive not to disappoint you." Kirano said as he turned to Turez and began listing things he needed and wanted.

"Trex" Aria continued, "I want you to pick out some people and fortify this level. Nothing gets in or out without my permission. Then I want you to guard 'Evey', personally, none of your people are to ever so much as lay eyes on her without my expressed say so."

The Krogan nodded and left the room, as Aria turned to Rem'Kel.

"Rem, you are now freed as per our bargain. Now before you run off back to the flotilla, I would like to speak to you as one free Asari to a free Quarian. I have a business proposition for you. Come this way."

Aria left the room with Rem'Kel in tow. Plans and ideas already being formed in her mind.

End of Chapter 1

* * *

Good day all. I'm Vlarto, yes I really am responsible for that mess you just read.

I hope you enjoyed it and the British spelling of some words.

Chapter 2 should be out very shortly if not already.

Have a good day.

Vlarto


	2. Chapter 2

**Omega – 2657 GS**

If one was a capable hacker and had the inclination, not to mention a complete disregard for ones life. It would be possible to access the power distribution report for Omega. It is a rare occurrence that any other than the compiler, the Quarian Rem'Kel, and the recipient, the Queen of Omega, should lay eyes upon it. This is because Aria, after reading the report, deletes the contents then bioticly crushes the pad to the size of a glass bead. It is for this reason that some individuals may have an interest in this otherwise dull report.

The hacker mentioned would have a short amount of time, a matter of minutes, to review the data they had stolen from the Queen of Omega. They would see that Afterlife, Aria's fortress nightclub, draws upon three percent of all the power that Omega generates. An impressive feat when one considers the state of both, the power distribution channels and the generators themselves. But what makes this interesting is Afterlife listed as the second great draw on power.

Alpha. Eight percent. That is all that is listed at the top of the report. The hacker would find those three words and have many new questions. Unfortunately for the hacker it is at about this point in the story of their life that the guards working for Aria find them. After being pointed in the right direction by Arias own spymaster. What follows is dependant one the mood of Omega's ruler, a gunshot or screaming. Inevitably the hacker is never heard from again.

* * *

Deep in the ancient ventilation systems of Omega where the darkness is almost tangible. A human male sits at a desk, on an island of light in the sea of darkness. The illumination is provided by the a single virtual interface on the desk. He is listening, via the cybernetic implants around his left ear. To an near endless supply of reports from his agents across the galaxy. His hands touch typing on a keyboard, which had more in common with a cathedrals organ than a simple keyboard. The written alphabet of all known species was represented somewhere on the vast board. Occasionally a droid would come from the darkness take an offered data pad before returning to whence it came.

Many might be surprised at the humans complete disregard for the near pitch darkness that surrounded him. But for this human darkness had been its constant companion since birth. The delicate nerves of his eyes were damaged in utero, by his species complete misunderstanding of the long term effects cyro stasis had on living creatures.

While most of his attention was focused on the incoming reports, a small amount was spared to keep a tab on his private living quarters. Where his frail mother and her bodyguard carer, were welcoming some unexpected, but not unwelcome guests. None of his myriad security measures had been triggered, which narrowed the list to two people.

His floating VI assistant beeped to announce its presence, then spoke in Asari.

"Master, your aunt requests your presence in your private chambers, as soon as possible."

The human smiled bitterly, all the previous times his aunt had come to him, she had brought bad news.

"Return and inform her I will be along shortly." The human ordered.

The humans voice was barely above a whisper and spoke in no human tongue, but a hybrid of Asari, Salarian, Turian, Krogan, Batarian, and Quarian. The drone beeped and was gone. Raising his voice slightly he called out to the darkness.

"Switch to autonomous mode and bring my cane."

A series of beeps responded from the darkness and a droid stepped into the the light holding a long and thin metal rod, with a looped cord at one end. The human stood and turned to face the droid while holding out his right hand. His left reaching up and adjusted a dial on his cybernetics. The droid looped the cord around its masters wrist then carefully placed the rod in his hand, before returning to the surrounding darkness. The man lowered his sight stick to the ground and tapped it thrice. Satisfied he walked wordlessly away.

The human made almost no sound as he walked, only the gentle scraping of his metal rod on the floor, betrayed his presence in the air ducts that honeycombed Omega. The reports continued to play in his ear albeit at quieter level as he made his way home.

A short while later he stood before the reinforced bulkhead that served as his front door. He took and held a deep breath and closed his blind eyes. Knowing full well that the pupil less white orbs made one of his guests highly uncomfortable. Slowly exhaling he forced himself to become calm.

He reached out to touch the gene scanner on the wall beside the door. Three beeps later the the bulkhead rolled aside, and he strode into his private quarters.

* * *

Aria and Turez sat opposite Trex in a small living area. Their eyes watching a sickly human female kneel down at the head of a small table between them. She calmly brewed a fresh pot of Asari tea while carefully laying out four cups on saucers. Despite her frail hands she deftly poured a precise amount into each of the cups with well practised ease. If it were not for the fact she had her eyes closed, those who did not know better, could be forgiven for not believing that she was blind.

The sickly woman placed the tea pot back on the small heater and slowly rose up on shaky legs. She took a few carefully measured steps then eased herself down onto the sofa, beside Trex.

"Please help yourselves." She smiled kindly and made a small sweep with her hands before crossing them on her lap.

Turez picked up the one closest to him, smelling and scanning it, before handing it to Aria nodding to her as he did. Trex rolled his eyes at the over protective nature of the Turian. All present knowing full well that the human would never actively hurt those who saved her life. The Krogan leaned over and carefully picked up a cup and saucer then tapped it, gently, against the woman's arm. Ever so slowly the woman took the saucer in both hands, and lowered it to her lap. She turned her head to the Krogan beside her.

"Thank you, Tr... Tre... Trevor?" She said smiling but also frowning in concentration.

"Trex. My name is Trex. Please try to remember Evey."

"Oh! I'm sorry Trex," Evey looked genuinely devastated at her mistake, "It's getting so hard to remember things. It's like fog in my mind."

Aria and Turez shared a look at each other, which Trex did not fail to notice, Aria gave a brief nod and sipped at her tea. Turez turned his head back to look at the blind woman across from him. Her head and shoulders were slumped slightly at her mistake, the teacup shaking slightly as she raised it to her lips.

"Evey." Turez said, speaking slowly, her grasp of Turian not being as good as it once was. "I've forgotten the name of your species. Could you remind me?"

Eveys face lit up with a cheerful smile as she turned her head to face Turez, lowing her cup back to the saucer, her sadness vanishing into the fog of her mind.

"Of course dear. 'Human' that is what my people called themselves." Evey replied then continued on a tangent. "My son should be home soon. He works very hard for the Queen, something to do with computers. I used to work for her too. She gave me wonderful dresses and had me pour tea and drinks for her guests. She even gave me this house after my son was born. That was before I got sick of course, Doctor Kirano told me I had to stop working." Evey paused for a moment and opened her blind eyes. "The Queen saved my life, and now I don't think I'll ever be able to repay her." A single tear ran down her face and dripped onto her dress.

Evey blinked a few times then swayed slightly on the sofa, before slumping sideways onto Trexs' arm.

"I have a headache and I feel dizzy. I need to lie down. Trex please help me get to my room." The Krogan lifted the sick woman in both arms, carrying her as if she were a small child, and as he carried her past Aria, she softly said "I'm sorry I cannot be a better host princess, but my son will be home soon."

"It's quite alright Evey. Rest now." Aria replied.

Just as Evey and Trex were leaving the room they heard Evey say "Doesn't she sound like her mother, the Queen." the door closed.

Trex returned a short time later and sat back in his place, grunting as he did. He picked up the tea that Evey had poured for him and drank it in one go. Shuddering at the horrid taste of the cold tea, not grown with Krogan in mind. He placed the small cup back on the table and clenched his fists in frustration.

Aria looked at the Krogan, inwardly surprised by his self control. It was not too long ago, in terms of Asari and Krogan, that he would have smashed the cup into the table destroying both. The sickly human was clearly having an effect on him.

"Report." Aria ordered.

"Three intruders caught, all dead. As for Evey, she is getting worse. She doesn't even remember Alpha's name any more, he is now just 'son', and, as you heard, you are your own daughter. She has moments of lucidity quickly followed by headaches, dizziness, sometimes both. Element Zero is poisoning her body, her organs are barely working, and the growths on her brain are growing larger. With Kirano dead there is no doctors we can trust to operate on her. Without help I don't think she will survive the coming year. Nothing more to report." Trex spoke without any of his normal bravado, betraying how much he worried for the human woman.

"I see."

A moment later came the sound of metal on metal and grinding gears.

* * *

Alpha heard the bulkhead roll aside and strode into his home. Tapping his sight stick as he walked to the living area on one side of the room, stopping one step before the low table. He could hear the heart beats of those present and turned his head to the seated Krogan.

"Trex, I take it my mother is resting?" Alpha asked in his hybrid language.

"Yes Alpha. Dizziness and headache again."

Alpha took a deep breath to keep from screaming. Gripping hard on his sighting cane. He had so much power at his fingertips yet he could do nothing to help his mother. Once he felt he had a grip of his temper, he turned to face his guests.

"Good evening aunt Aria, uncle Turez. I trust this is not a social visit?" Alpha asked.

"I have a gift for you." Aria said in a tone Alpha could not place. "For your loyalty."

Alpha frowned for a moment then lowered himself to one knee.

"My queen, I owe you my very existence. I will serve you, and only you, till the day I die. I do not require gifts to keep me loyal."

"How adorable you are Alpha. But this gift is as much for Evey as it is for you." She turned her head to Turez, "Send it."

Alphas omni-tool hummed to life as Turez transferred the gift, a file of some description.

"Audio only, play" whispered Alpha, and after a few seconds, "stop. Dearest aunt, while I appreciate Turian military reports, I fail to see how it is a worthwhile gift for my mother. If you would kindly stop playing fucking gam..."

Alphas speech was cut short as a biotic attack smashed into his chest and forced him onto his back, leaving him gasping for breath.

"Make no mistake Alpha" Arias voice was furious, her biotics lighting the room in a bright blue glow. "I have killed for pettier reasons than the insult that you just gave me. There are reasons I am not going to end you. First, I am fond of your mother, and do not wish to make her sad. Second, when you control your temper, you are one of my better agents." Aria tightened he biotic grip around his chest. "Lastly I control how much 'training' you have to do. Now get a grip of yourself and get up off the floor."

Alpha wheezed as Aria released her biotic field. Just hearing his aunt mention the word 'training' was enough. Despite the pain in his chest, and still lying on the floor, he fought a battle against his temper for the second time in mere minutes, trying to regain a semblance of control over his mind. His knuckles white, his teeth clenched shut, his body trembling, his pupil less eyes bulging as he fought against the demons of his mind, anything to avoid more 'training'. After a minute he let out a shuddering breath and relaxed, and forced himself to stand, his back as straight as he could manage.

"That's better." Aria said without emotion, "Skip to sequence 16.2.3 and listen to the whole thing."

Alpha raised his omni-tool to his lips repeated the sequence number and listened.

"Sequence 16.2.3 Interrogation of captured subjects.

Turian #1 - Sir we captured this human in The Occupation of Shanxi.

Turian #2 - A human you're the first I've met.

Human - And your the first bird I've met.

Turian #1 - He was armed with this weapon sir.

Turian #2 - How primitive. Your kind expects to win a war with this?

Human - A bullet is a bullet.

Turian #2 - You have so much to learn, and when we conquer your Earth I look forward to teaching you.

Sequence ends."

Alpha listen to the sequence twice more. Memorizing it and the voices within, unkind things on his mind.

"What would you have me do, my Queen?" He whispered as his body began trembling, again, with suppressed rage and hope.

"When this conflict ends you will take your mother to human controlled space. Find out what can be done for her. Then bring her back home. Simple."

"Your will be done. I will take my leave now to begin planning." Alpha turned and started to walk out of his home, he stopped briefly as the door rolled to the side and spoke over his shoulder. "Thank you, aunt Aria." Then he stepped into the gloom of Omega.

'Anything for you, my little Shadow broker.' Thought Aria as he disappeared.

* * *

Good day all. I'm Vlarto, yes I really am responsible for that mess you just read.

I hope you enjoyed it and the British spelling of some words.

Some of you may be wondering who is the main character here, Evey or Alpha?

The answer is both, Every few chapters about Alpha I plan to jump back into the past a do a write up on Evey and later on young Alpha.

Anyway, feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

Have a good day.

Vlarto


	3. Chapter 3

2630 GS

Doctor Kirano was wondering how things had turned out the way they had. He almost regretted some of the decisions that had led him to this point in his life, almost. He felt the scalpel press slightly harder into his throat. The human had one arm wrapped tight around his neck while its other held the blade to his throat. It was screaming something in its language at Turez who, in turn, had his pistol pointed at it and was shouting back. His bodies' high metabolism was working against him here as he fought to remain conscious, while trying to pry the humans arm from his neck, his arm oozing blood. Through the spots that were appearing in his vision he saw Trex enter the room.

* * *

 **Ten days earlier:**

Kirano had Turez, purchase multiple cleaning droids and a VI assisted medical machine, to act as his nurse, along with all the equipment he would require to work on a patient. Aria had outright refused to allow Kirano a living assistant, "five people know this secret, which is four more than I like," had been her exact words. He put in a request to Aria to have Trex and his men to fix the decontamination units on this floor. All in all Kirano spent a small fortunes worth of Arias credits on medical equipment, repairs, and cleaning bills. It would take a few days for all the work to get done, during which he had planned to read through the information that Aria had gathered during her impromptu meld with the human and perform some minor tests.

 **Seven days:**

When all the work was complete the fifteenth sub-level of Afterlife was almost clean enough for a Quarian to walk around without a suit. Not that he would recommend it of course, but it should be possible. He stripped his subject and laid it out on the medical bed. He then performed some minor but invasive tests on the creature. Poking, scanning, and taking samples of every part of its body that seemed interesting, to try and determine their functions, even with the notes Aria had provided it was a necessary procedure.

 **Six days:**

He had the medical machine force a tube into the stomach of the human to periodically give it water and liquefied Asari food, both purified as much as possible. Freeing up time from having to manually force water down its throat. He did not tell Aria when the creature nearly drowned when he made a mistake, instead telling her that he had confirmed that the creature could not breath underwater.

 **Five days:**

Running a series of allergy tests on the humans skin proved a highly interesting exercise. It showed no reaction all levo based allergens, except one. It, much like all known species, had an rather extreme reaction to thresher maw spit, leaving an bubbling mess of flesh on its back. The ruined flesh was quickly cut away, leaving superficial damage to the skin.

 **Four days:**

The dexo allergy tests produced varied results including but not limited too; rash, swelling, discolouration, spasms, welts, bubbling, and vomiting. Kirano found the data he gathered fascinating but Aria did not seem pleased and ordered him to get on with the implants, so she could begin training her new toy. He highly recommend that the human never be given dexo food under any circumstances and then beat a hasty retreat.

After giving the humans body a short amount of time to heal from the damage he had inflicted. He implanted a tracker in the flesh between its thumb and first finger, settling it along the bone. He used the barbaric practice of sewing to close the wound, according to the data it was the standard practice humans used to close wounds. Now he would wait for a few days and if the human showed no signs of rejecting the implant he would go ahead and place more throughout its body.

 **Today:**

Kirano took a few blood samples from the human, intending to see what would occur if its blood came into contact with that of other species. Checking the wound on its hand he saw it still looked raw but beginning to heal, scanning showed that the implant was still where he had placed it and was functioning. He opened its eyes to shine a light in each to check that its eyes were still functioning, waiting for the day that he would have to tell Aria that it had gone blind. His scans had showed that its eyes were damaged and that without details he could only get from a doctor of the race itself, if they were advanced enough to have any form of proper ocular medical practice. Without this there was nothing he could do to save its sight. He closed its eyes and walked over to a table to begin experimenting.

* * *

Evey woke up and found she was, once again, unable to move. She prayed to whatever gods there might be that it was all a dream, which was quickly shattered. Something pulled up her eyelids and a light shined into her eyes then was gone replaced by the face of the one called Kirano and her eyes were closed again. She tried to call out to it but her body refused to respond to her command. She was locked inside her own mind.

Then she noticed that something was touching and cutting her all over her body. All her fears were coming true, she was being studied! She screamed, but her body still refused to move, so it just echoed in her mind.

The testing stopped eventually and what felt like a long time passed, she felt her mouth being opened and a liquid poured in while her nose was pinched. Involuntarily she inhaled and liquid flooded her lungs. A somewhat familiar sensation gripped her, reminding her of waking up from cryo, but no coughing came as her body slowly drowned. Suddenly the was pressure on her chest and her body shifted some of the water out, eventually it stopped and she could breathe easy again. A little while later she felt her mouth being opened once more and something shoved down her throat all the way down to what felt like the pit of her stomach.

Time continued to pass and nothing much happening, until she felt things being placed against her back, but that was about it, until it wasn't. Without any warning her back felt like it was on fire, like she was laying on a bare heating element of a cooker. Then something cut at the burning skin causing the pain to grow even more intense. All Evey could do was scream in her mind, begging for it all to be over. She was truly beginning to believe that this place was hell, a very special kind of hell.

But the mental begging did nothing, her back was still raw and painful, while her body was subjected to even more kinds of torture that she would not have wished on anything. Then her hand was cut open and something shoved in before it was brutally closed up again. She could feel herself going mad with pain and fear. Gods, what was this doing to her baby! She had not felt them going near her belly in a while. She could not even feel the little thing inside her yet, so she had no idea if it was still there or not.

The pain slowly faded and her eyes were, once again, opened and the Kirano thing shined his light into her eyes again. She wanted to kill it, willing with every ounce of strength she had left she tried to reach out and strangle the bastard. Her finger twitched.

For an uncountable time the Kirano did not return, so she forced each part of her body to respond to her will. Fingers and toes then ankles and wrists, until she got everything working. Falling asleep after the effort, happily dreaming of ways to inflict harm on the thing called Kirano.

She felt something nick her in the arm and had to resist the urge to flinch. The Kirano was back now and she would make it pay. Evey waited till she heard it walk away before opening her eyes, scanning the room after the blurring faded. Its back was to her and a tray of medical instruments was next to her bed. She gently pulled the tube from her throat, trying to make as little noise as possible as she gagged, but the Kirano didn't seem to notice, engrossed in planning a new method to torture her no doubt.

Evey knew she had one chance at this, if they caught her she was dead. But thinking on it for a moment, death was preferable to living as a lab rat. Making up her mind she grabbed the sharpest looking knife on the little table next to her and rushed at one who had tortured her. She made it two steps before her legs gave out, however that allowed her to land on the bastards back. Slipping one arm around its neck as they both collapsed to the floor, scattering the equipment on the table as they went. It yelped in surprise and tried to shake her off but she was having none of it. She tightened her grip and stabbed it in the arm. The Kirano cried out in pain and the sense of unholy joy she felt at hurting it threatened to overwhelm her and likely would have done, if the one called Turez had not burst into the room at that moment. Snapping out of her trance she quickly raised the knife to Kiranos throat screaming at him.

"Not one step closer or I cut his throat! No fuck that! I'll cut his throat even if you don't move!"

The bird man Turez shouted something back and the shouting match continued until.

* * *

Rem'Kel sat in his new chair.

Aria offered him a paid position in her organisation as a tech and security consultant, with a huge pay check enough that in a few years he could buy a brand new ship for the flotilla. In front of him was a large number of screens each showing a view of parts of Omega, on a cycle. An entire block of screens was dedicated to just showing Afterlife and the surrounding area. One of the screens switched locations and Rem'kel nearly fell out of his chair when he saw the Human grab Doctor Kirano, the fight that ensured, and Turez entering the room. He quickly opened his omni tool and sent Aria and Trex an emergency sign and the vid feed.

'Keelah!' he thought. 'What the hell is this creature.' He watched the shouting match between the human and Turez. Hoping this would end well for all.

* * *

Turez was enjoying a strong drink.

Which was necessary when working with a manic genius like Kirano. This was turning out to be his most boring assignment ever, watching a doctor tend to an alien, which was unconscious. He was sick up to his mandibles of hearing the doctor go on and on about the strange creature he had been working on.

He was on the verge of joining Trex and his crew watching the pit fights when he heard a scuffle followed by a scream of pain coming from the medical lab. He sprinted for the door leading to the adjoining room, drawing his pistol as he went, shouting as loud as he could hoping to draw the attention of the guard crew.

He punched the unlocking switch and entered the room gun first, quickly sweeping the room he saw the creature choking the good doctor, who was bleeding from a nasty wound to the arm, while holding a surgical blade to his throat. It narrowed its eyes at him and reminded him of a wild animal, one that could never be tamed and would need to be put down.

"Drop the blade and let him go!" He bellowed at the creature, who shouted something back.

He really did not want to get into a shouting match with a creature he could not understand and the opposite being true. But he did not have any choice, he didn't want to kill the doctor or the subject. So he just settled for more shouting as pointless as it was.

* * *

Trex was having a great day!

He had thrown a Salarian red sand addict, who had stumbled into sub level fifteen, into a den of Vorcha who tore him apart in a frenzy. The screams giving him a thought to keep him warm on cold nights. Now he was kicking back with some ryncol and his guard crew watching some pit fights being broadcast from somewhere on the station. It was just getting to the good part when his omni tool buzzed an emergency code and the video started showing what was happening in the medical lab, across the way. In a split second he was barrelling through his men, to a chorus of shouts and drunken curses, he bellowed orders to make a full sweep of the level as he ran out.

When he arrived the situation did not look good. The human was choking the life out of the filthy Salarian doctor, who looked like he would be dead in a few minutes, not that it would be much of a loss the the galaxy as far as he was concerned. The human itself looked almost feral, its naked form mostly sprawled behind the doctor holding him down with its weight. It's eyes wide with fear and panic, but also they held a fire that he recognized. It was the look of those who were willing to die to accomplish the job at hand, a foolish but respectable position. Maybe the creature was not as pathetic as he first thought, but besting a Salarian was no mark of a warrior. He reached out and pushed Turezs' pistol down.

"What are you doing?" Turez cried out trying to bring his gun up again.

"It's going to kill the rodent, regardless of the guns pointing at it." Trex turned to look at the Human. "Aren't you little one?"

The Human responded with a short shout.

"See. You need to handle hostage situations forcefully but quickly. Like this."

Trex covered the space of the room in a blink of an eye. His face stopped a hands length from the creatures face, causing it to flinch in terror. The blade drew a small amount of blood from the doctors neck but the other arm loosened enough for the Salarian to take a, much needed, breath.

"Kill him or drop it." He spoke slowly, pronouncing each word with great care. "I haven't got all day."

Trex watched with great interest as the fire in the creatures eyes began to drain away being replaced with pure fear. Then he noticed two odd smells, thresher spit and urine. The latter was a reasonable response to a Krogan getting this close that quickly. The former reminded him of his rites back on Tuchanka, he had driven one off but it had killed one of his krantt the smell of acid melting flesh had never left him, it was a smell to be respected, especially if one survived it.

* * *

Evey found that despite what the Kirano had done to her, it was a lot harder than she had thought it would be to just slit it's throat and be done with it. After everything it had put her through her mind wanted nothing more than vengeance, to inflict harm upon it two fold what had been done to her. Yet when the time came to hurt it she hesitated, she was a waitress not a murderer, and this was far out of comfort zone.

The shouting match with the Turez was making her throat sore and her head throb. Then the Trex had arrived and just appeared right in her face. It grunting a few sounds at her, while she watched its nostrils flare as it took a deep breath. It breath smelt of petrol and pure alcohol, fuck could this thing breath fire!

Panicking she shoved the Kirano at the Trex and crawled away into a corner. The cold metal of the wall soothing the burning pains on her back. She noticed the trail of blood she had left and then the open wound on her left hand, little pieces of thread that had once been stitches now torn apart. Her eyes locked onto a shiny thing in the wound and picked at it and shifting it a small amount, but she could not get a grip on it though the blood, so she resorted to biting it and pulling it out. Evey squealed in pain as she tore the thing out of her hand, spitting the offending object, a needle like thing, at the feet of the Trex who watched with, maybe, shock on its face. The Turez had helped the Kirano to its feet and sat it down on a stool, while the Kirano wheezed and made odd clicking noises, pointing at things on one of the tables.

Then the Aria appeared. If it were a human Evey would have said that it walked with an air of arrogance that came from owning, or the ability to own, everything that it saw, but on an alien could mean fucking anything. The Aria briskly strolled into the room, blue fire rippling across its body, seemingly unfazed by it. It looked around with the same look of utter disdain that Evey had seen on its features when she first woke from cryo. When its eyes passed over the Kirano, Evey could have sworn that a slight smirk passed its lips for a brief moment, before disappearing into a frown. Then the flames disappeared and it walked up to the side of the Trex, looking down at her. It shifted its mouth around slightly before speaking slowly.

"Evey speak understand words."

Evey snapped her head to the Aria eyes wide with surprise.

"You speak my language! Why didn't you say last time? Why did you give me to that?!" pointing with her chin at Kirano.

"Evey spoken words slow, understand all not."

After taking a moment to try and calm down, and failing, Evey repeated her previous sentence, albeit much slower. To which the Aria answered.

"Words no meet first. Doc tor Kirano help Evey."

"Help! HELP! He tortured me!" Evey shouted, holding up her hand blood flowing freely from the wound. "Tortured me!"

Aria frowned before responding. "Evey slow speak. Sleep feel nothing. No tour chair, yes help."

Evey screamed in rage and pain as she forced herself to stand on shaky legs leaning heavily on the wall behind her. She began to point to each of the wounds that the doctor had inflicted on her, shouting torture as she showed each one. Then reluctantly she turned her back to them and showed the butchered skin on her back from when he had burned her. The skin from her left shoulder down to her buttock was a shapeless mass of poorly healing skin and melted tissue. Unsightly blisters filled with a yellow fluid, scabs trickling blood, framed by discoloured skin black and blue, and a few hints of green and yellow.

Evey turned back, took a shuddering breath then slowly and careful spoke.

"I was not asleep, I was unable to move or to speak. I was awake and I felt everything. Yes torture, no help."

The whole room went dreadfully quiet, only the wheezing of the Kirano broke the silence. Aria turned to Kirano, fury plastered across her features. She barked out a single word, causing the doctor to jump before hastily giving its side of the story. Eventually he stopped talking and Aria turned back to Evey.

"Doc tor awake knew not. May excite experiment over kindness."

It took Evey a few moments to decipher what the Aria had said. The all her panic and fear was replaced with rage and hatred. She ran at the doctor taking a few steps before her legs gave out under her. The Trex caught her uninjured arm before she hit the floor, gripping her tightly and pulling her to her feet as she kicked and screamed wordless rage, striking at him as best she could.

Evey could see that the Kirano flinched at her sudden attempted assault, and that the Turez had taken a position in front of the Kirano. The Aria stepped in braking her view and grabbing both sides of her head then forcing their eyes to meet. Evey watched as the Aria's pupils expanded to fill her eyes.

* * *

Aria was better prepared to meld with the Human this time, bringing to bare almost the full force of her mind in an attempt to overpower the Humans mental defences in one attack. The walls guarding its mind crumbled like sand under her assault and she walked unhindered into the strange mind scape of the Human.

There was rage everywhere in the Humans mind, all tinged with an even coating of fear and uncertainty. Aria tried to force up its memories of the recent past, but it was to focused on the here and now for it to be of any use. Somehow she needed to calm the creature down, to ascertain the truth of the matter of torture. More importantly she wanted to know how the it had broken past her mental command from the last meld.

She walked though the mind of the human trying to find where it was hiding itself, so that she could attempt to communicate with it. All the while it was making feeble attempts at forcing her out or stopping her travels.

Aria finally found her rocking in a ball at the centre of her mind. She stopped one pace from the creature and crossed her arms.

"Evey, look at me." The Human just kept rocking back and forth.

"Evey!" Aria shouted breaking the humans concentration causing it to look up. The rage that made up the majority of the mind scape vanished and was replaced by a depth of fear she have never encountered before.

"Please don't hurt us please don't hurt us please don't hurt us..." Was all the creature kept repeating to itself, both its hands clasped over its belly. Arias eyes narrowed in the real world as she lowered one hand from the Humans face to its pelvis.

"I am not going to hurt you Evey." Aria spoke in her most calming tone. "I want to show you something."

Aria crouched down and held out her right hand, on it formed a tiny ball of light. Evey's eyes flicked between it and her confused.

"Won't you greet your child?"

"Child?" Evey responded

"Yes, your unborn. It cannot communicate yet, but it is very much alive."

"My baby." Evey reached out to touch the ball of light, her fingers tingled as they made contact. She turned her head to Aria. "How?"

Aria took her time explaining in somewhat simplistic terms what she was doing to the confused and scared Human.

"We're in my head?" Was all the human had to say after the explanation.

"That's oversimplifying it but close enough to the truth. Now say farewell to your child."

"Please don't hurt it! I'll do anything!" Evey exclaimed.

"I'm not going to hurt it, I am just going to sever _my_ connection to it."

"Oh okay. Bye bye little one, I can't wait to meet you."

With those parting words Aria closed her hand with a snap and the ball of light was gone.

"Now Evey, I need to see what happened over the last few days. Don't resist."

Aria felt and saw all that had occurred to Evey at the hands of Kirano. She did not let the shudder of discomfort that washed over her show in any way. Aria ended the meld and looked at Evey for any change. There were tears running down her face, soaking Aria's glove, but she looked calmer than before the meld, which was a welcome change.

She turned to Kirano, her face an expressionless mask.

"Set the machine to fix the damage you caused, then come to my office. We are going to be having words. Then you can go get treated for this wound." She poked her finger into the hole in his arm causing his face to twist in agony.

"As you wish Aria." His voice was strained.

"Turez I want you to set up one of the rooms down here as a room for Evey."

He nodded once and left.

"Trex, triple the number of guards. Take over sub levels fourteen and sixteen. Seal up all the ways in and out, except the stairs. Rem'Kel I assume you're listening."

"Yes boss" Rem'Kel replied

"Rewrite the lift protocals to have it skip floors fourteen threw sixteen. Then set get one of your feeds to watch Evey at all times. Also build me a tracker that she can wear, jewellery, belt, collar. I don't care, get it done."

She turned once more to Evey who Trex had sat down on a stool.

"Mind say no hurt baby do anything, correct."

Evey nodded.

"Do as say." Aria pointed to the medical bed "Lay, sleep, help."

Evey nodded again and Trex helped her get onto the bed. Kirano wandered over, programmed something into the machine under Aria's withering gaze, then handed Trex a mask.

"Anaesthetic safe for most species, do not see why would not be for human." He added.

Aria nodded at Evey and Trex placed the mask over her mouth and nose. Less than ten seconds later she in a controlled coma.

* * *

Evey was not so scared any more. The Aria had been very nice to her. Her baby was still alive. The Kirano was going receive the hiding of a lifetime. While she was going to be made better.

The Trex lowered the mask to her face and she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

 **AUTHER BIT!**

 **Good day all. I'm Vlarto, yes I really am responsible for that mess you just read.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it and the British spelling contained above.**

 **(to be totally honest, I didn't know 'panicking' had a 'k' in it till I wrote this. English is weird.)**

 **Also a thank you to anyone who followed/favourited after the first two chapters**

 **Have a good day.**

 **Vlarto**

 **Motivational thought for the day:**

" **If you tried your best, then today is a good day."**


End file.
